I offer Henry half of my burrito but he passes said he ate eggs and toast on the way here but he takes some of Vic's coffee. We wait for AirRescue2, that's Jeff and Matt's helicopter, to come up on the radio frequency.
"It is better we wait for the helicopter in case they spot anything. It is also better to wait for the sun as the light will make any search easier." Henry confirms my instincts.
I look over at Ferg, who is eating his burrito with Vic, and I think of how much Ferg has changed and I'm glad he stayed. Most days, I'm glad Vic stayed but consecutive days seem farther apart, because I think I'm holding her back from her career and from her happiness but it doesn't stop the fire that burns in me.
Omar stops his truck last in line of the caravan that is assembling on the side of the road.
He makes a point to say hello to Vic and gives her what looks like his best Hollywood smile which is promptly met with an eye roll and a crooked neck head roll to match.
"Omar"
"Walt" He puts his hand out and I meet it. "I see you had to call in the second team to help with this." Joking with Henry.
"Hello, Omar."
"Henry." They shake hands.
"Well, where do we start?"
I look at Henry and back at Omar and my thumb points between them, "Henry, you and Omar pair up with Ferg and start tracking now that dawn is breaking. Hopefully, the helicopter will pick up viable signs."
"Ah, come on Walt, I know you can have Vickie come with me and Henry."
"I need her for something else. Besides, if you put her in the hospital again I won't be able to protect you." I don't smile at him because I'm telling the truth and it dawns on me that I can't protect him from me and I offer just a tad of a grin as I watch his face break just a bit from disappointment.
"Ferg!" I shout and he trots over.
"You're going with Henry and Omar to start tracking with the dogs. Get me on the portable if anything turns up I'll be monitoring in the Bronco."
I hand him his cell phone back. "Thanks for that." My index finger points hard at the phone.
"Welcome, Sheriff."
"I'm going to see Bart Schmidt."
"That's an old mean son-of-a-bitch." Omar says while adjusting his rifle.
"Yup"
"Stay in touch." I turn to walk away and turn back, "Omar, don't hurt my people."
"Walt, are you ever gonna forget?"
"No!"
I hear Henry tell Ferg, "Be careful, Omar has been responsible for seriously injuring both me and Vic. You have not been indoctrinated and I hope you are immune."
"I'm gonna grab my gear." Ferg runs over to his car passing me by as I approach Vic.
"Ah, I need you to go with me," I say walking toward the Bronco.
She falls in behind me and wrestles the rest of her burrito into the generic white bag.
I stop, between the open door frame and the door, "Ferg, make those casts when you get back!"
He gives me a thumbs up, "Got it Sheriff."
I flip the Bronco around and step on the gas, hands in ten and two, my jaw set and Vic asks while fastening her seat belt, "Where we going, Walt?"
"See Bart Schmidt."
"Bart Schmidt?"
"He's the Grand Giant out here."
"What the fuck is the Grand Giant?"
"He's the head of the Klan in Absaroka County."
"The Klan as in the Ku Klux Klan?"
"Yup"
"What the fuck, Walt." She looks out of the passenger window as the landscape whips by.
"You know, you know about the existence of the Klan and racist bullshit but Walt I can't believe this shit is real."
"Believe it."
I look back and her eyes are still on me full of disbelief but I see the switch. The realization of the evil we are going to face. The remembrance of being locked in a basement fearing her life was going to end. Her husband's life in jeopardy. It's there. It's always there under the surface. Another conversation we never had, words never spoken, just the understanding that our lives are interwoven just by our sheer existence.
"I wonder what kind of shit is in Philly that I don't know about?"
"That's the question, isn't it? Who knows what's under the thin layer of peaceful existence?"
"So you think that the Klan could have kidnapped Jason?"
"I don't know but I know he has been in a thither since that big meeting in Casper a couple of years ago."
"Ok clue me in."
"The NAACP met with John Abarr, outta Montana, to quell violence against Black men mostly in Gillette." She nods following my words, "Well, as you can imagine a lot of people weren't too happy about that and Bart was the one shouting the loudest."
"So you think that maybe he sees his first opportunity in little Jason." Her voice trails off as she begins thinking and churning the pieces of the puzzle. "This may be a hate crime?"
"Yup"
"How do you deal with it, Walt? I mean this is your hometown. You grew up here. Did you go to school with this guy?"
"Yup."
"Did he fuck with you?"
"Nope, but it wasn't like our school was exactly diverse, Vic. It's like it is now. Mostly white and a few Indians but we aren't exactly the cosmopolitan sophisticates of large cities but obviously Bart doesn't represent us all. He was just another kid."
She still has the bitter shock of reality on her face and I can see the anger start to seep out.
"Well, obviously, I'm gonna follow your lead on this."
I nod and keep my eye on the road, checking the knob on the radio to make sure the volume is turned up but so far nothing from Ferg.
"I'm sorry, Vic."
"I know." She looks straight ahead, "I'm sorry, too."
"Can we try again?"
"Which part?" I see her turn toward me as she asks.
"All of it." I say turning to look at her.
This was a rare chapter aching to get out so I gave up some sleep to write it. Expect the next update in a week or so. Thanks for hanging in there! Again, thanks for the PM's and the reviews, totally appreciate you :-)
